Aldrich events include gala, free reception

Published 2:26 pm, Monday, April 27, 2015

A new show, featuring works by six artists, is set to open this weekend at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield. Festivities will include a gala benefit on Saturday, May 2, and a free reception on Sunday afternoon.

Artist Tom Sachs will receive an award from designer Cynthia Rowley at the gala, which takes place amid exhibitions from the new "Circumstance" series. The gala runs from 6:30 to 10 p.m., and includes a cocktail hour, gourmet dinner and coffee hour.

"Circumstance" features works by artists Virginia Poundstone, Nancy Shaver, Ruby Sky Stiler, Penelope Umbrico, Elif Uras and B. Wurtz. The May 3 reception runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Visitors will have a chance to explore galleries that have been transformed into "rooms" by the artists, who will contextualize their work by displaying it alongside art and objects of their choosing -- offering insight into never-before-seen aspects of their practice.

The reception also includes guided tours and family workshops. Visitors who work up an appetite can purchase gourmet farm-to-museum lunchboxes prepared by No. 109 Cheese & Wine for a picnic on the museum's grounds.